THE AMATEUR GARDENER

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 169, 22 August 1914, Page 5

THE AMATEUR GARDENER

Weather Conditions. Although we had a fine, open winter, with much spring-like weather, yet most garden plants aro rather more backward than usual. This may be a distinct advantage should it tide us over late spring frosts. The winter so far has beeu abnormally dry, the rainfall in this district being much below the average 1 . The rainfall for July was about four inches below the average of the 'last eight years, while during August, up to date, the record is less than the fifth of an inch, I should think, a record for sunny days for the period. Daffodils and other spring bulbs are not generally coming on as freely as they should even where conditions seem most unfavourable. Where the growth of daffodils is sufficiently forward to judge there is an apparently lack of flower spikes showing, many strong groAvths being flowerless. This may have been caused by the excessive wet weather experienced during April, Avhich cooled the ground much earlier than usual. The soil also seems much more inert than is usual at this season; this is no doubt occasioned by the lack of rain. Even though the soil may contain moisture enough, rain dissolves the manurial elements in the soil and makes them available as plant food, carrying considerable quantities of oxygen into the soil, keeping the moisture in a state of flow, and freeing it from stagnation. Winter rains do not contain a large quantity of nitrogen, but there is always a percentage which plant roots can take advantage of. Where the soil is porous, and in dry situations, unless rain in sufficient quantity comes quickly it will be as well to giA r e sufficient water to soak well down to the roots of those spring flowering bulbs that require an abundant supply of .moisture during the whole period of their growth, such as daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths. The soil should be loosened on the surface so that the water can percolate downwards, loosening it up again when dry after watering. The Kitchen Garden. Winter broccoli has not been a success in many plftces this season, fine, strong growth was made during the autumn, but it did not receive the ripening influence and steadying action of frost, the fine sunny days keeping the plants in a state of excitement throughout the winter, and causing them to button or to form only small heads. The diamond backed moth, or cabbage moth, was in evidence throughout, and care should be taken to cut off and bury all old and decaying leaves of all the cabbage tribe, and the ground should be kept moved amongst the plants, so as to cause as much destruction to this pest as possible. In planting out young cabbage and cauliflower plants keep as' much distance as possible between them and the old plants, keeping a good look out to see that they are free from the caterpillar. While the plants are young and have only a few leaves, it is not hard to go over them occasionally and destroy the insects by hand. Peas are now coining up, ami commencing to make growth, so keep the hoe or the fork going amongst them, as they will come on faster the more the ground is stirred about This applies to all garden crops. It is not necessary to go deep, in fact it is harmful to do so, a loose surface of two or three inches being quite sufficient. Spinach that has been in use during the winter will have the soil between the rows trodden down hard. This should be loosened up with the fork and broken up fine, a very slight sprinkling of nitrate of soda and superphosphate, not more than half an ounce of each to the square yard, sprinkled along the rows, keeping it off the leaves, will give it a fresh start, and keep it longer from bolting. Late planted fruit trees, shrubs, rosesj and such like plants must not be allowed to suffer from lack of moisture. Watch should be kept to see that the ground does not dry out too fast. As soon as that is apparent in any way, a soaking of water should be given, "it will be well in any planting that has been deferred until now to water the plants well before finally filling in the soil. Sweet peas should be

(By AOTEA.)

staked early, as the plants succeed much better Avhen the tendrils have some support to cling to. Plants in pots or boxes should be thoroughly hardened off ready to plant, out. All bedding stuff, too, AA'itli cauliflower, cabbage, and tomato plants, should be grown on as hardily as possible, With protection from frosts and cold winds. Pruning Peach Trees. Fruit trees are showing promise of abundant flowering, and with favourable Aveather and an absence of late frosts, there should be every prospect of good crops. With young trees it is advisable to reduce the number of flowering buds, as it relieves" the tree considerably, and the fruit set is often finer and more plentiful than if the tree is allowed to exhaust itself by excessive flowering. If peach and nectarine trees are not already pruned, no time should be lost in getting this work done. I must reiterate the necessity of cutting out all dead wood and twigs, and well thinning out the fruit bearing shoots, cutting out all sappy, unripened wood, and the shortening back of strong growths that show an abundance of flower buds, to a wood bud or to a double flower bud that has a good wood bud between them, leaving the short or fruiting twigs their full length. All prunings should be gathered up and burnt, and the trees sprayed thoroughly, especially the young growth, with the 10.10,40 formula of Bordeaux mixture, instructions for the making of which were given in preA'ious notes. Readers must excuse me for going over this ground a second time, but the peach is such a wholesome and pleasant fruit. I know none more appreciated, and it is so often lost through neglect or wrongful treatment, that perhaps another reminder will do more good than harm. The mid-winter has been very easy on self-sown annual seedlings. Where the old plants of lobelia were not cleared off early a good crop of well advanced seedlings will most likely be found, while the African daisy Dimorphotheca Aurantiaca, has come up freely, plants being in flower already. Phlox drummondii too, another half hardy annual that usually requires to be raised under glass, is present in the borders now with numerous seedlings. If these seedlings are thinned out where thick and the ground forked up about them, they will come into bloom early when flowers are scarce. Time to Prune Roses. Roses are now starting into growth freely and pruning may be now pushed on. Many amateurs when they see a nice healthy crop of young shoots pushing forward, seem to feel some compunction in cutting them all off. With many of the teas if large bushes for garden flowering shrubs are wanted, this is not necessary, the weak growths may be just shortened back, and some of the strong shoots may be cut back, too, with the object of furnishing new wood, but with many of the teas and nearly all the hybrid teas and hybrid perpetuals it is necessary to prune in the orthodox manner. That is, to cut out all growth not wanted, and to shortten the remainder - back a certain amount. As a rule, the points of these shoots are furnished with new growth just starting, and it does seem a pity to cut off all this excellent ' looking material, but it is quite necessary that the heart must be hardened, and the groAvth cut back to a dormant bud. "But can't we leave two or three?" may be questioned. The only answ'er is ''No." For this reason: If two or three strong-started growths are left on the plant they will immediately take the lead and absord a deal'more than their fair share of sap, and then, Avhen nice-looking and sappy, fall an easy prey to some spring frost. • Pruning is to make the young growth a less easy victim to the powers of frost by delaying the growth as long as is possibly safe, so that it can from start to the finished bloom have as little check as possible. One often sees an unpruned rose bring those shoots safely through frosts. That is true, but the reason is that there are many shoots, and not having an excess of sap they are harder and firmer than the few shoots that are left on the rose that has been pruned.